Iowa's first black player played in 1895, Kinney Holbrook. Archie Alexander was a tackle 1909 -1911 graduated with an engineering degree. Duke Slater 1918-1921 all-American tackle, lawyer and eventually a judge, Ozzie Simmons led the team in rushing 1934-1936, Calvin Jones 1955 2 time all-American, Outland Trophy winner, Wilbur Hollis a black QB in 1960 one of the few ever at the time,
The University of Iowa has been blessed over the years with an enviable number of African-American sports pioneers. For instance, did you know the following trailblazers were Hawkeyes?
- The first Black lineman in NFL history and the first African-American in the College Football Hall of Fame
- The first Black athlete to play for the NFL’s New York Giants and the first African-American in the Pro Football Hall of Fame
- The first Black captain of a Big Ten football team
- The first Black father-son pair to play in the NFL
- The first Black football players to compete in Miami’s Orange Bowl stadium
- The first Black player featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine and the first African-American to win the Outland Trophy
- The first Black athlete to play basketball in the Big Ten
- The first Black athlete to earn All-American honors in cross country
- The first Black athlete to win an individual national championship in cross country
- The first Black athlete to win an individual national championship in wrestling
- The first Black Big Ten assistant football coach and the first African-American to serve as Director of Player Personnel for an NFL team